FAQ

The tribunal’s services are limited to dispute resolution, decisions, and orders. It can’t provide emergency response or law enforcement services. If you are concerned for your personal safety or require emergency services, call 911.

In the CRT’s online application for dispute resolution, the Tribunal will ask if there is an immediate risk that an applicant will lose their job or become homeless because of the dispute. If an applicant answers yes to this question, the Tribunal will ask for more details.

The Tribunal might be able to move the dispute through some of the dispute resolution process faster. This will depend on whether the Tribunal has staff available to speed up the process. It can also depend on how fast the parties to the dispute do the things they are required to do.

A party who has trouble reading or writing can tell the CRT. The CRT might be able to help by relying less on written communication. For example, it might use a teleconference where people do more talking.
A person who has difficulty reading and writing can also get help from a trusted friend or family member.

If someone is helping you with reading or writing, it can’t be someone who you will use as a witness or who has a direct interest in the outcome of a claim in dispute. The person must also be over 19 years old.

Most of the CRT services are delivered in English. We will try to accommodate people who speak other languages, but we may not have staff who can communicate in your language. Please see our resources in Mandarin, Cantonese, Punjabi, Persian, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Under some circumstances, the CRT may be able to provide free interpretation services. In other cases, a party may have to pay for translation and interpretation services.
You can also get help from a trusted friend or family member who is able to read, write, speak and understand English.

If someone is helping you with translation or interpretation between English and another language, it can’t be someone who will be called as a witness or who has a direct interest in the outcome of a dispute. This person must also be over 19 years old.

The CRT process uses a lot of written, and some telephone, communications. We will contact you to discuss what we can do to try to accommodate your impairment. We will do our best to use a form of communication that will work best for you.

You can also get help from a trusted friend or family member. A person who helps you communicate during the Tribunal process can’t be someone who will be called as a witness or who has a direct interest in the outcome of a claim in the dispute. This person must also be over 19 years old.

You can access CRT services as quickly as possible online. Parties who interact online will also receive discounts on some CRT fees.

If you are unwilling or unable to use a computer, smartphone, or tablet, you can get help from a trusted friend or family member who can use this technology. A person who helps you access the Tribunal’s services through technology can’t be someone who will be called as a witness or who has a direct interest in the outcome of a claim in the dispute. This person must also be over 19 years old.

Your local library, school, or Service BC office may have computers available for public use. The CRT has held workshops with librarians to provide them with information about helping customers to use library computers for CRT services.

If you can’t access the CRT’s services online, you’ll be able to access many of its services through telephone, fax, and mail.

This table sets out a range of issues and special rules or circumstances that apply.

Representation in the CRT process – Litigation Guardian

A child must participate in the process through a litigation guardian. A litigation guardian is someone 19 years or older. A parent or legal guardian will often be the litigation guardian. A person who acts as a litigation guardian can’t also have an opposing interest in the claims relating to the child they are acting for.

The person acting as a litigation guardian must provide a signed declaration to the Tribunal confirming that they

Have the proper authority to act for that child, and

They have no conflicting interest with the child in the dispute.

If no one is willing to act as the litigation guardian, the Public Guardian and Trustee for BC may be willing to do it.

Representation in the CRT process – Representative
A child can have a representative act for them without requesting permission from the Tribunal.
If the dispute involves a personal injury, a child must be represented by a lawyer or a person supervised by a lawyer unless the litigation guardian is the Public Guardian and Trustee.

Providing a Dispute Notice to a child
An applicant for dispute resolution has to provide a copy of the Dispute Notice to the child’s parent or guardian unless the Tribunal orders otherwise.

Agreements involving a child
If an agreement involves a child, the provisions of the BC Infants Act must be met before the Tribunal will make a consent resolution order. These requirements are quite detailed, and are not listed here.

Tribunal orders
If a party is a child, the Tribunal can order a party to pay money for that child to the Public Guardian and Trustee on that child’s behalf.

Dismissal of a dispute
A person requesting the dismissal of a claim made by a child must get written consent from the Public Guardian and Trustee to make that request. This written consent has to be provided to the Tribunal when the request for dismissal is made.

In the Civil Resolution Tribunal, special rules apply to adults with impaired mental capacity.
We can’t provide a precise explanation of when an adult does or doesn’t have impaired mental capacity. We can tell you that it usually has to do with things like the adult’s ability to understand the significance or consequences of a decision. It also has to do with that adult’s ability to understand the information needed to make an informed decision.

An adult might be mentally capable to make some decisions, but not others. An adult might be capable some of the time, but not other times.

This table sets out a range of issues and special rules or circumstances that apply.

Representation in the CRT process – Litigation Guardian
An adult with impaired mental capacity must participate in the process through a litigation guardian. A litigation guardian must be 19 years or older.

A person who acts as a litigation guardian can’t also have an opposing interest in the claims relating to the person they are acting for.
The person acting as a litigation guardian must provide a signed declaration to the Tribunal confirming that they

Have the proper authority to act for that adult with impaired mental capacity, and

They have no conflicting interest with the adult with impaired mental capacity in the dispute.

If no one is willing to act as the litigation guardian, the Public Guardian and Trustee for BC may be willing to do it.

Representation in the CRT process – Representative
An adult with impaired mental capacity can have a representative act for them without requesting permission from the Tribunal.

Providing a Dispute Notice to a respondent who is an adult with impaired mental capacity that has a committee of estate, representative appointed in a representation agreement or an attorney appointed under an enduring power of attorney
If an applicant knows that a respondent has a committee of estate, representative appointed in a representation agreement or an attorney appointed under an enduring power of attorney, the applicant must provide a Dispute Notice to that person and to

The respondent or the person with whom the respondent normally lives, and

The Public Guardian and Trustee.

Agreements involving an adult with impaired mental capacity
If an agreement involves an adult with impaired mental capacity, the Tribunal must review the agreement to ensure that it’s fair, reasonable, and in that incapable adult’s best interests.

Tribunal orders
If a party is an adult with impaired mental capacity, the Tribunal can order a party to pay money to the adult’s committee of estate, representative appointed under a representation agreement or attorney appointed under an enduring power of attorney on the adult’s behalf.
If there isn’t a committee of estate, representative appointed under a representation agreement or attorney appointed under an enduring power of attorney, the Tribunal can order the money to be paid to the Public Guardian and Trustee on the mentally incapable adult’s behalf.

Dismissal of a dispute
A person requesting the dismissal of a claim made by an adult with impaired mental capacity must get written consent from the Public Guardian and Trustee to make that request. This written consent has to be provided to the Tribunal when the request for dismissal is made.